According to the Louisiana Uniform Crime reporting program, there were 177,710 crimes reported in the U.S. state of Louisiana in 2018. The year 2018 had the fewest non-violent criminal offenses since at least 2008. Violent crime decreased from 2017 to 2018, but 2012 still remains the lowest with its record of 22,868. Rape went up 12.7% from 2017 while murder/non-negligent manslaughter declined 7.8%. Additionally, robbery dropped 15% and aggravated assault dropped 1.5%. Handguns remain the leading murder weapon with a rate of 44.7% with firearm (type unknown) following close behind at 35.7%. Together, these two contribute for 80.4% of the murders. Similarly, robberies were committed mostly with firearms in 2018. Firearms were leading with 52% and strongarm listed with a percentage of 35%.

Homicide statistics Louisiana experienced a higher murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate (8.7per 100,000) than any other U.S. state in 2025 for the 37th straight year (1989–2025), according to The 2025 FBI Uniform Crime Report, and it was also the first time since 1969 in which the state didn't experience a murder/nonnegligent manslaughter rate of 10 per 100,000 or more according to the Disaster Center's FBI figures. The average annual murder/nonnegligent manslaughter rate in Louisiana (13.6 per 100,000) is more than two times higher than the average annual rate in the U.S.(6.3 per 100,000) from 1989- 2024.

Louisiana murder rates per 100,000 Year Murder rate Year Murder rate 1989 14.9 2007 14.7 1990 17.2 2008 12.3 1991 16.9 2009 11.8 1992 17.4 2010 11.2 1993 20.3 2011 11.2 1994 19.8 2012 10.6 1995 17.0 2013 10.8 1996 17.5 2014 10.2 1997 15.7 201510.3 1998 12.8 201611.8 1999 10.7 201712.4 2000 12.5 201811.4200111.2201911.7200213.2202015.8200313.0202119.6200412.7202216.1200510.0202314.5200613.1202410.8

Crime statistics: 1995–2019 Crime totals by offense in the state of Louisiana from 1995 through 2018 as recorded by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.

Numbers vary by year. Some reports list statistics for the previous year higher/lower than shown on said previous year's report.

Year Population Total    Violent Property Crimes Rape Robbery Aggravated assault Burglary LarcenyTheft VehicleTheft 1994 4,342,000 289,873 43,741 246,132 1,855 11,662 29,484 53,481 166,667 n/a 1996 4,351,000 297,556 40,426 257,130 1,805 12,036 25,823 56,379 173,271 27,480 1997 4,352,000 280,671 37,248 243,423 1,799 10,407 24,360 53,935 163,114 26,374 1998 4,369,000 266,435 34,057 232,378 1,609 8,651 23,237 51,210 157,507 23,661 1999 4,372,000 251,252 32,033 219,219 1,448 7,591 22,526 47,775 149,749 21,695 2000 4,468,976 242,344 30,440 211,904 1,497 7,532 20,851 46,289 144,345 21,270 2001 4,465,430 238,371 30,678 207,693 1,404 7,864 20,910 46,451 139,555 21,687 2002 4,482,646 228,528 29,690 198,838 1,529 7,123 20,445 45,350 133,302 20,186 2003 4,493,665 222,320 28,622 193,698 1,601 7,008 19,429 44,572 129,471 19,655 2004 4,515,770 227,997 28,844 199,153 1,616 6,564 20,090 45,359 134,080 19,714 2005 4,523,628 193,500 26,889 166,611 1,421 5,337 19,681 39,382 112,840 14,389 2006 4,287,768 201,158 29,919 171,239 1,562 5,729 22,098 44,986 110,613 15,640 2007 4,293,204 206,308 31,317 174,991 1,393 6,083 23,233 44,602 115,209 15,180 2008 4,410,796 197,574 28,944 168,630 1,232 5,994 21,191 43,320 111,567 13,743 2009 4,492,076 198,305 27,849 170,456 1,359 6,105 19,855 46,246 112,493 11,717 2010 4,533,372 190,243 24,886 165,357 1,233 5,211 17,932 45,435 110,029 9,893 2011 4,574,836 194,150 25,406 168,744 1,268 5,239 18,386 46,320 113,301 9,12320124,602,134185,51222,839162,6731,1555,45815,73742,037112,7647,87220134,625,470189,29523,609165,6861,2445,54816,31941,184115,3429,16020144,648,990185,86624,964161,1921,3825,72516,40038,541113,2519,40020154,670,724183,09726,468156,6291,7235,55017,45435,453111,4359,74120164,645,670180,86326,477154,3861,8195,57518,52834,667109,38010,33920174,663,461183,80426,092157,7121,8675,35818,28534,265112,48510,96220184,659,978177,71025,049152,6612,0854,56817,26631,132109,99311,536

By location

New Orleans

In 2019, New Orleans had 121 murders with a rate of 30.7, ranking it number four in the top homicide city rates in the U.S. Despite this high number nationwide, this is still one of the lowest homicide rates for New Orleans since 1971. In 2018, New Orleans had 143 murders. Other violent crimes in 2018 also experienced a drop from previous years. New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any major American city in 2008 (42.1 per 100,000 people) 2001 (44.0 per 100,000) 2002 (53.1 per 100,000) 2003 (57.7 per 100,000) 2004 (56.0 per 100,000) 2006 (70 per 100,000) 2007 (81 per 100,000) 2008 (63.6 per 100,000) 2009 (52 per 100,000) 2010 (51 per 100,000) and 2011 {57.6 per 100,000} as well.

Baton Rouge In 2019, Baton Rouge had 83 murders with homicide rate was a per-capita homicide rate 31. This is a downwards trend from the 106 murders in 2017, the recent record high. +Homicides Per Year in Baton RougeYearHomicideYearHomicide2003482012842004602013642005622014632006742015782007962016622008862017106200987201887201081201983201180

2011 In In 2011, there were 15,134 crimes committed in Baton Rouge, including 64 murders, 51 forcible rapes, and 12,666 property crimes. The murder rate in Baton Rouge for 2011 was the 8th highest in the nation among large cities at 27.6 per 100,000. Baton Rouge also had the 25th highest violent crime rate in the U.S. in 2011 with a rate of 1,065.7 violent crimes per 100,000, surpassing New Orleans at 792 per 100,000. The Baton Rouge Police Department currently employs 789 police personnel (police officers, dispatchers and specialty positions).

Capital punishment laws

Capital punishment is applied in Louisiana. Executions are carried out by lethal injection at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as Angola) and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women at St. Gabriel.

The first recorded execution in Louisiana occurred on September 24, 1722, when an unnamed man was hanged in New Orleans for theft. The first execution in Louisiana as a U.S. state was of a male slave (name not recorded) for murder in St. Landry Parish in July 1812. The most recent execution took place on March 18, 2025, with 46-year-old Jessie Hoffman Jr. executed by nitrogen hypoxia for the murder of Molly Elliot. It was the first execution in Louisiana since 2010.

On June 29, 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Furman v. Georgia, which halted capital punishment in the United States. Prior to this moratorium, however, Louisiana had not carried out an execution since Jesse James Ferguson was put to death in 1961. Capital punishment was reinstated in Louisiana in 1976 following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia. The first execution to occur in the state following the lifting of the moratorium was on December 14, 1983, when Robert Wayne Williams was electrocuted. In total, Louisiana has executed 660 people. Eight convicted death row inmates have been exonerated in Louisiana since 1976.

Notable criminals

Nathaniel Code – 1980s serial killer of eight people. Ronald Dominique – A Louisiana serial killer with at least 23 victims. Sean Vincent Gillis – Serial killer of eight women. Derrick Todd Lee – Nicknamed the "Baton Rouge Serial Killer", he has been linked to seven murders. John Allen Muhammad – Born in Baton Rouge, the "Beltway Sniper" killed ten people around the Washington D.C. area during the Beltway sniper attacks. Muhammad and his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, are also linked to shootings outside of Washington D.C. including two in Louisiana. Elmo Patrick Sonnier – Convicted murderer and rapist who became the inspiration for Sister Helen Prejean's best-selling book Dead Man Walking. Robert Lee Willie – Convicted murderer and rapist who also became the inspiration for Sister Helen Prejean's book Dead Man Walking. Sean Penn's physical appearance in the film was based on that of Willie. Angola 3 – The Angola 3 refers to 3 inmates, Robert Hillary King, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, who were placed into solitary confinement at Angola after the death of a prison guard, Brent Miller. Their case led to several high-profile documentaries and legal interest concerning solitary confinement. Corey Miller – Better known as C-Murder, the rapper and actor is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Steve Thomas at a nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. Clifford Etienne – Also known as the "Black Rhino", Etienne is a former professional boxer who fought many notable boxers including Lawrence Clay Bey, Lamon Brewster, Mike Tyson, Calvin Brock, and Nicolay Valuev. He is currently serving a 105-year prison sentence for armed robbery, kidnapping, and the attempted murder of a police officer. Jean Lafitte – Early 19th century French pirate who operated in and around New Orleans and Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Lafitte and his fellow privateers fought in the Battle of New Orleans after receiving a full pardon from Andrew Jackson. Samuel Israel III – Born in New Orleans, Israel was founder and hedge fund manager of Bayou Hedge Fund Group. He was convicted of defrauding investors out of $450 million in one of Wall Street's biggest recent frauds. His crimes and subsequent manhunt have been featured on Dateline, America's Most Wanted, and American Greed. Edwin Edwards – Former Governor of Louisiana (1972–1980, 1984–1988 and 1992–1996) convicted of seventeen counts of racketeering, extortion, money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud. Clementine Barnabet – Barnabet confessed to orchestrating and participating in 35 murders in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas between 1920 and 1912. The veracity of her admissions have since been doubted. Axeman of New Orleans – Unidentified serial killer targeting Italian immigrants around 1918. Antoinette Frank – Antoinette Frank was a New Orleans police officer when she and her then boyfriend Rogers LaCaze killed Officer Ronald Williams and siblings Ha and Cuong Vu during a 1995 armed robbery at a Vietnamese restaurant, later dubbed the Kim Anh murders. She is currently the only woman on Louisiana's death row. Zachary Bowen – Former war hero and veteran met his girlfriend, Addie Hall, After Hurricane Katrina in 2006. Addie was supposedly preparing to leave Bowen. Then on October 17, 2006, Bowen jumped from the roof of a parking garage. A suicide note found in his pocket led police to his apartment where the dismembered remains of Addie Hall was found in pots and pans on the stove.

Year by year

2012 All categories of crime decreased in 2012 from 2011, except for robbery, which saw a 4.6% increase. Louisiana's overall crime rate, at 4,037.5, ranked fourth among U.S. states in 2012. Among the ten largest cities in Louisiana, the town of Alexandria had the highest crime rate at 9,174.6 crimes per 100,000 people.